‘A-are you s-sure this is okay?’ Bruno smiles hesitantly as he laces his fingers through Charlene’s, walking slightly ahead on the narrow path beside the canal. ‘I didn’t imagine th-this w-would be your s-sort of thing’
‘Yeah, it’s good’ She pauses to watch the ducks diving for food and smiles at the sight of the upended tails. ‘They don’t half look funny, don’t they?’
‘I w-wanted to take you out p-properly….sh-show you off’ he squeezes her hand.
‘Show me up, more like’ Charlene says ruefully and starts walking again.
‘No’ Bruno stops her. ‘Show you off’ he says firmly. ‘You are v-very b-beautiful’
‘Yeah, right’ Charlene snorts with laughter.
‘I think you are’
‘What were all that about?’ she asks ‘All that what you was doing with your fingers?’
‘S-sorry’ Bruno flushes, taking his free hand from the side of his leg and looking at it. ‘It’s less obvious if I’ve g-got a p-ocket…A-a j-jacket pocket…n-not a trouser p-pocket otherwise it l-looks as if..’
Charlene snorts with laughter again and he grins through a deeper blush.
‘I-I’m beating t-time. T-rying to s-speak without this b-b-b…’ he turns away with an exasperated growl. ‘Bloody stammer!’ he shouts.
‘But you int got t’be nervous now’ Charlene says quietly, taking his hand again. ‘Not a me. We’s going out int we?’
‘Y-yes’ Bruno acknowledges with a slow smile ‘W-we are, aren’t we?’
Woodbury Heights
Chapter Eighteen
Oatfield
‘Here?’ he queries with a frown, peering through the windscreen as he comes to a stop and up at the living accommodation above the few shops that line the High Street.
‘Yes, thank you’ She prepares to get out.
‘You sure?’
‘It was nice of you to bring me this far’ she smiles, her head down ‘but you live in Milliwick, not Oatfield. That was a bit unfair of Helen’
‘It’s not exactly out of my way…This far?’ Nathan reaches across to stop her opening the door any further as the lights turn to amber. ‘Okay…so where now? This is a door to door service’
‘No…honestly…pull over…this is fine’ Stephanie says nervously.
‘I’ll take you’ he insists. ‘It’s just starting to rain, if it hammers down like it did earlier, you’ll get soaked’ He gives a slow self-deprecating smile and shakes his head, grunting ‘It’s okay…I’m quite safe. I’m not going to come stalking your place and make a nuisance of myself. It’s a lift, okay?’
‘It’s not that’ she assures him with a sigh.
Nathan’s face sets. ‘Where?’ he asks gruffly, sensing a rebuff. He tries to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.
‘Beech Grove’
‘Very ni-ice’ his eyes widen almost imperceptibly, seeing in his mind’s eye the wide, tree-lined road of large detached houses as he accelerates through the village.
‘Mmm’ Stephanie nods and fidgets with the clasp of her bag.
‘Was I right, or what?’ Nathan asks as the heavens open and rain lashes against the windscreen. He indicates and pulls into the middle of the road in order to turn right into Beech Grove. ‘How far down?’ he asks after a while, slowing to a crawl when a T-junction comes into view ahead of them.
‘Just here on the left’ Stephanie says with a sigh. ‘The one with the wrought iron gates….. and the sign that says ‘The Vicarage’’ she groans as he pulls into the kerb.
‘Ohh sh…it!’ Nathan’s head falls slowly forward until it hits the steering wheel. ‘Just when I was beginning to think things couldn’t get any worse!’
‘I know what you mean’ Stephanie bites her lip. ‘Anyway..I enjoyed the ride home. I expect this is where you say ‘I’ll see you around’. I don’t know why it should put people off. I like my dad and I think you would too’
‘You mean, if I hadn’t put you off already?’ Nathan laughs hollowly.
‘What makes you think that?’ she sounds genuinely surprised.
‘Aw come on! Every time we’ve met, I’ve made a right prat of myself. I know I AM one…but I usually hide it a bit better’
‘I don’t think that at all’
‘Yeah…you were stunned by my wit and charm’ he says with a cynical laugh.
Stephanie unbuckles her seat belt. ‘And I’m not usually so tongue-tied. People can’t shut me up as a rule’ She grimaces when Nathan looks at his watch. ‘Sorry…I’m keeping you’
‘No…it’s okay’ he checks the time again. ‘It’s just that I said I’d go and see a friend. She gets crabby if I’m late and the dinner spoils’ He rolls his eyes and snorts a laugh.
‘Oh…I see’ Stephanie gathers the strap of her bag in her hand and opens the door.
For a split second Nathan sits with his mouth slightly open, unsure if he has imagined the disappointment in her voice. ‘She’s my honorary granny and her telly’s gone wrong’ he blurts as she swings her feet onto the pavement and gets out, pulling up the hood on her jacket.
‘Ohhh….’ Stephanie bends to lean into the car ‘So…are you doing anything Friday?’
‘Eh?’
‘You’re already seeing someone…okay…that’s fine’ she straightens, her hand on the door. ‘Thanks for the lift’
‘Hang on…. ‘ Nathan ducks his head to look at her, grinning in disbelief. ‘Were you asking me out?’
‘It doesn’t matter’ She smiles resignedly, thinking he is laughing at her. ‘Are you helping with the move? I told Helen I’d lend a hand. I’ll probably see you then…whenever that is. Anytime you need a quick blessing, I’m sure my father would help out’
‘Will you hang on!’ Nathan fumbles in his haste to get his seat belt undone and curses when he catches himself on the gear lever in his efforts to slide across to the passenger seat. ‘I wouldn’t care if your dad was the Archbishop of bloody Canterbury’ he shouts, anxious that she should not close the door before he has had time to finish speaking. ’He might not like me much but shit, I don’t really care. If you were asking me out then I’m not doing anything ANY night!’
He leans sideways and peers up at her, the pocket of his paint-spattered cargo pants still held fast.
Stephanie presses her teeth into her bottom lip, trying not to laugh at his predicament. ‘Eight o’clock?’ she suggests tentatively, an edge of disbelief creeping into her own voice. ‘We could go and have something to eat, maybe?’
‘You want me to pick you up….here?’ Nathan curses again and reaches down to rip the pocket off to free himself. ‘Souvenir’ he says with a grin, handing it to her as he completes the move to the other seat.
‘If that’s all right’ she says, taking the scrap of fabric, blushing as though pleased to have it. ‘He only does the fire and brimstone thing on Sundays’
Nathan sits gazing at her, unsure if he should get out of the car.
‘You’d better go’ she reminds him. ‘And I’m getting wet’
‘Er…yeah…um…Friday, then…..Eight o’clock…on the dot’ He shifts back to the drivers seat as she closes the door.
